Keep Smiling

Keep Smiling

Sunday, February 5, 2017

Re-purposed Denim ~ Free Motion Embroidery

It all started with this photo.
I wanted to try embroidery from a photo,
so Butchy was my inspiration :)

I cropped the photo, made it a black and white, 
and then blew it up.
After printing it and putting it on the light box,
I traced the lines that I thought would
make a good embroidery pattern.

Next I put a piece of iron on Pellon 
to the back to give it a little stability.
Then I started my free motion embroidery
on the sewing machine. 
All that you need to do this is a darning foot,
and drop your feed dogs. 


  Then I used my fabric paints to paint it.

 The next day after it was dry I started
quilting it to some denim fabric saved from
an old jean skirt.

 Added Ric-Rac . . .

Stitched the front and back pillow cover together,

And Viola, a Butchy Pillow.



 Well, that was fun!

 Just a few photos taken from
inside the house
& out the front & back doors.













  Baby it's cold outside!


My sweet husband suggested
that I go tobogganing in my kayak, LOL. 

Keep Smiling!

Your blogging sister,
Connie:)

54 comments:

  1. How very talented you are!!
    Now your husband might have a good idea there. : )

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If I were younger I might have him drive me out to the sand dunes and give it a try. I'm sure there are some sledders out there. I just might start a new sport, LOL.

      Delete
  2. Love that poochy pillow! Brr.. looks mighty cold! BUT beautiful.Must get a bit grim after a while. We never get snow, so we don't know what being shut in would be like.just as well you are a crafty person Connie.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Having a hobby and loving to stitch has been wonderful during this cold winter. I am delighted that you like my pillow. I have been wanting to try doing this from a photo . . . I think that there are so many possibilities with this method joined together with quilting :) It's just so much fun trying new things. Would you like me to mail you some snow, I have plenty to spare, LOL

      Delete
  3. What a winter! And what a great project you completed!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am thrilled about your wonderful unique pillow! It's just fantastic and an adorable place to live where you are!
    oxo Susi

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Susi, it was fun to work on this, I'm happy that you like it.

      Delete
  5. That really is a lot of snow. Such a wonderful project you are one talented lady.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you . . . I woke this morning (Monday) to sunshine and the snow has stopped, but it is in the 20's so it probably won't be melting. That sunshine sure does look nice:) Thanks for stopping by to visit.

      Delete
  6. WOW, this is awesome. It turned out fantastic. You are so clever and talented.

    ReplyDelete
  7. You are such a clever lady with your stitching! Thank you so much for sharing with us the step by step procedure of how you made the Butch pillow. I love the light box! The pillow is totally adorable! I also enjoyed your snow pictures. Our snow is almost gone, but I am certain there will be more coming our way.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Dianna, I'm always complaining about our dry brown winters . . . Never Again!!! This winter been a doozie. We haven't seen snow like this in many a winter. Thanks for you compliment, I just wanted to try something new :)

      Delete
  8. Wow! What very cool artistic pillow of your little friend

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've been wanting to try my hand at this and Butchy was my guinea pig.

      Delete
  9. Hi Connie,

    Wow! Your pillow came out beautifully!! Free hand quilting has to be difficult to do, no matter what type of feet you have.

    You have so much more snow than us! Yesterday it reached in the 50s and same for all this week. I'm so excited I wore my sandals to work today!

    Hugs,
    Kay

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sandals . . . that turns me a little bit green with envy, LOL. I'm wearing layers. I bought a couple pairs of leggings and I'm wearing them under my jeans:) Free hand quilting isn't that hard, you should try it :)

      Delete
  10. That is an absolutely wonderful pillow! Your little Puppie is very sweet looking. I think we're like you. Lots and lots of snow. I fell a few weeks ago while trying to clear the driveway and fractured my back. Hubby fell last night trying to clear the driveway after the snow plows plowed us in. He seems to be OK, but I'm sure ready for this winter to be over.
    Blessings, Betsy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh Besty, I am so sorry to hear about your falls. I know when that snow plow comes by it's awful. I would hate to be walking down the road. I haven't been out this morning yet, up there is certainly some shoveling to do. We had a good three days of snow. It's Monday morning and the snow has stopped and the sun is shining, but it's in the 20's so no melting yet. Isn't Spring going to be a welcoming sight? It was so warm last year at this time that I had tulips starting to pop through the ground.

      Delete
  11. oh my goodness Connie the doggy and banner are so cute..
    LOVE the doggy pillow !!
    "Don't be wishing your life a way." ha..oh boy I hear you on that ...
    but its easy to wish away the cold winter months :)
    hugs,Patty

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know I am so looking forward to spring :) Thanks so much for stopping by . . . I wish that I could serve hot coco and cookies to all of my blogging sisters when they popped in to visit . . . wouldn't that be nice.

      Delete
  12. You, like we, are having quite the unusual winter! Gives you extra time to make more awesome projects.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's the truth . . . I'm happy that I prepared and purchased plenty of fabric, thread and batting last fall. It sure has been nice on these snowed in days :)

      Delete
  13. You are really good! I like how it turned out for a pillow. Our dogs are so special, aren't they! We don't have any snow right now and today was so nice. I know we have lots of winter ahead of us though. Keep creating! Nancy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Nancy, thanks for stopping by and thanks for being such a sweet blogging friend. Yes, our dogs are special . . . he is just so much company, especially when Steve is at work :)

      Delete
  14. I love your pictures of where you live. It's nice to see what others see as they look out their windows. I love how very clever you were making the cute pillow with your very own dog's face on it. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Butchy is my buddy, he tags along and help me with all my chores and my fun time, too. It was nice of him to let me use his photo for my first attempt at working with a photo and free motion together :) We spent our morning shoveling out the driveway, yet again . . . I'm looking so forward to spring this year.

      Delete
  15. Tobogganing in your kayak! what a good idea.. now if you just had a hill! I see the snow is not giving up on you is it? We've had a few days of clear (although it's been gray) weather.. but more snow coming tonight. I was just getting used to seeing the ground. Bah.h.h.h.h.h... Love your Butch pillow.. it is so precious and you did such a great job with your embroidery. Love your yard pictures too. Hope your week goes along well and right.... xoxoxo Marilyn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Marilyn, they are predicting more snow for us tonight too . . . I do hope that they are wrong. Doing this pillow was fun . . . I've been wanting to try using a photo and now that I have the light-box it makes it so much easier to trace onto the fabric for a pattern.

      Delete
  16. That pillow is so adorable, wonderful work, and like how you finished off the back of it. Wow the snow pictures are very pretty, but I can only imagine you are ready for spring to come. If you take your husband up on that you will have to be sure he takes pictures :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It sounds very possible to use a kayak like that . . . but I'm 71 years young and past my daredevil days, LOL. It makes me so happy that you like my pillow . . . it was fun working from a photo :)

      Delete
  17. What a great project. That Butchy pillow turned out so cute. Also loving all your snow pic's. We got a dusting over Christmas, but it was 82 today. Crazy for February, even in Texas.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 82 . . . I'm moving to Texas!
      Got a spare room for rent? Just kidding. I'm so tired of snow and winter; spring looks better with each snowflake that falls :)

      Delete
  18. Connie, you make everything look so easy! I love that pillow. It looks just like Butchy!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Oh Connie, what a lovely post. I just love your cushion with Butchy on the front, it's adorable. You have some wonderful ideas and so clever. It does look very chilly in your part of the world. We have managed to avoid the snow here in the UK but it's quite chilly and sunny on occasions. Thank you so much for your kind comments recently on my blog. Take care. P x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Patrica, we are having cold weather and we are all tired of it and ready for springtime. Today we are having 30 mile an hour winds from the north and it freezes me all the way to my bones. I've just walked over to the barn to sew, so that will take my mine off of the weather for a while. It's nice and cozy out here :)

      Delete
  20. Good Evening Connie, Your cushion cover of Butchy is so lovely.... you are so very talented.
    My word, you do have a lot of snow in your part of the world. Apparently here in the North East of England
    it is going to become very cold in the next couple of days, so I think it will be a good time to stay
    in doors where it is nice and warm, find the sewing box and do a little sewing.
    Best wishes
    Daphne

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Daphne, we live in the Pacific Northwest and although it is warmer all around us we are having cold weather with 30 mile an hour winds from the north. I thought my face would freeze off just getting to the barn to sew. I am sooooooooooooooooo ready for springtime! I'm happy you like my cushion and thanks so much for paying me a visit and leaving a comment. I enjoy reading them and it helps with cabin fever to hear what's going on in the world of bloggers.

      Delete
  21. Connie, you are so creative! Butchy turned out so cute. Somewhere buried underneath all that snow is spring time waiting to happen. :) Can't wait!!
    hugs,
    Jann

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jann, I love that . . . Springtime is buried under all that snow . . . I just need to be calm and carry on :) There is nothing that I can do about the weather anyway, but I will welcome Spring with open arms. Thanks for stopping by to visit. I'm glad that you like the pillow.

      Delete
  22. I love the pillow, Connie, it is gorgeous and creative! And your photos are beautiful! :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. I love the pillow... I want to try this! Your photos are beautiful, too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope that you do try it . . . it was fun. I took a photo of the front of our house and turned in black and white . . . I want to try it next. I think it would make a great pillow for the front porch :)

      Delete
  24. Beautiful and inspiring as always!
    xo
    Lynn

    ReplyDelete
  25. You are definitely keeping busy in the snow.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I have to, or go crazy. There are blizzard warning out again, they started this morning and go into tomorrow . . . then we'll see if we have the energy to shovel the drive, yet again, LOL.

      Delete
  26. The pillow turned out so cute! That Butchy is adorable! The snow is so gorgeous although I know you are probably ready for spring to come. I am so cold natured, I don't know if I could survive in extreme temperatures. LOL! Enjoy sewing and crafting...before you know it, you will have your hands in the dirt!

    Hugs, Vicky

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Vicky, We haven't seen a winter like this in years. Friday, Saturday and Sunday it snowed all day and night. Then, yesterday we had blizzard warnings that are still in effect through tonight . . . they brought snow and wind so hard that the snow was coming down horizontally yesterday, because of the wind. Then last night we got freezing rain on top of all the snow. It is a mess . . . and scary to step outside for fear of falling. I finished piecing a quilt and got it based to the battling and the back so that I can quilt it by hand with a hoop in the house. I'm not even going to try going out to the barn until some of this melts and the iciness is gone.
      Florida sounds like heaven :)
      Thanks so much for stopping by to visit.
      Sorry if I dumped to much of my "cabin fever" on you.

      Delete
  27. Very creative, Connie. You're on a roll! xo

    ReplyDelete
  28. I have done some free motion but I don't think it will come out this good. I will have to give it a try on my little Max. Hugs, LJ

    ReplyDelete